Day Four: Don’t Be Afraid

Just for fun, let’s start today’s entry for our "50 Days of Victory" with a little quiz. See how many of the following phobias you can match up with their definitions. Come on; don’t be afraid to try!

 

1.      Beards

2.      Blushing

3.      Body odor

4.      Chinese people and things

5.      Church

6.      Dampness

7.      Darkness

8.      Dust

9.      Fish

10.  Fur

 

a.       Koniophobia

b.      Bromidrosiphobia

c.       Sinophobia

d.      Ichthyophobia

e.       Pogonophobia

f.       Ecclesiophobia

g.      Scotophobia

h.      Erythrophobia

i.        Hygrophobia

j.        Doraphobia

 

 

11.  Itching

12.  Lists

13.  religious works of art

14.  shadows

15.  Slime

16.  small things

17.  Solitude

18.  String

19.  Thinking

20.  Wind

 

k.      Linonophobia

l.        Microphobia

m.    Anemophobia

n.      Iconophobia

o.      Sciophobia

p.      Acarophobia

q.      pinaciphobia/katastichophobia

r.        Eremophobia

s.       Blennophobia

t.        Phronemophobia

Answers to 1-10: 1.E; 2.H; 3.B; 4.C; 5.F; 6.I; 7.G; 8.A; 9.D; 10.J.

Answers to 11-20: 11.P; 12.Q (notice there is more than one!); 13.N; 14.O; 15.S; 16.L; 17.R; 18.K; 19.T; 20.M.

            Yet, God says:

 “Do not be afraid of them,” the Lord said to Joshua,

“for I have given you victory over them.

Not a single one of them will be able to stand up to you.”

Josh. 10:8, NLT

We all have fears. I may not fear men (or women) with beards, lists (actually they’re more of an addiction than a fear), or thinking (although I’m positive I’ve met a few who run from it), I still struggle with fears and insecurities. If I can’t trust God with my fears, this is the first enemy that has to be faced before I can do battle against any other. Fear is something I give to God over and over again, because new (and old) ones are always cropping up. Each time, He graciously replaces it with His courage and peace.

There is no limit to God’s power to overcome our fears – whether we’re squeamish about praying in public, confrontation, fear being alone, speaking in public, or agonize over the well being of those we love because of their sinful choices. God can handle it. God promised Joshua that not a single one of his enemies would be able to stand up against him, and as long as we fight  God’s enemies, the same is true for us.

No phobia, no evil, no insecurity, no threat, no demon can stand against the Holy Spirit of God living in us. What an infusion of energy that brings! Whether the enemy is within or without, nothing can stand against God’s mighty power. Rest in that and don’t be afraid.

“God didn’t give us a spirit that makes us weak and fearful.

He gave us a spirit that gives us power and love. It helps us control ourselves”

(2 Tim. 1:7, NIRV).